


Prompt: Sports

by All_The_Monsters



Series: August Writing Challenge 2019 [7]
Category: Anastasia - Flaherty/Ahrens/McNally
Genre: F/M, chess is a sport so, idk how to tag and i've been doing this for over a year, just two idiots in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-08-23 22:35:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20246965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_The_Monsters/pseuds/All_The_Monsters
Summary: Anya is determined to beat Gleb at a game of chess.





	Prompt: Sports

"Check." Gleb smiled smugly as he captured one of Anya's bishops. Moving quickly, Anya swiped a rook across the board and knocked the offending black piece away before sitting back in her seat across from Gleb and raising her eyebrows before smirking. "While that was a good move in all, you should have considered other options." Gleb spoke as he move one of his pawns over to take out her rook. "And now, you're in check again." Staring at the board in shock Anya looked at her options. She could take the piece holding her under check, but then all Gleb would have to do was move another piece and she would be indefinitely stuck in check-mate. No matter what move she made, Gleb would win, and he knew it. Looking up Anya pursed her lips at Gleb's smirk before huffing and folding her arms, forfeiting the match. 

"How come you always win?" Anya threw up her hands in exasperation. "You know, I will beat you, you'll see." 

"And I look forward to that day, comrade." Gleb said as he gathered up the pieces. 

"I demand a re-match." Anya stuck out her chin.

"Are you sure?" Gleb looked up at her.

"Yes." Anya spoke defiantly. 

"Okay," Gleb began to place the pieces back into their designated starting spots and looked up at Anya, nodding for her to move the first piece. Breathing out through her nose, Anya looked down and began her assessment of the playing field and deciding which pawn to move first. Brushing her fingers across their round tops Anya finally settle on one and moved it forward one space instead of two. Looking up, Anya could see Gleb was equally deep in thought about which pawn to move in response to her movement. It went back and forth like this for a while, pawns, rooks, knights, bishops, queens, all moving in calculated response to their opponents moves. Several times Gleb would set up traps, hoping Anya might fall for the easy capture of one of his knights or bishops, and in turn lose her queen or even king, but each time Anya foiled Gleb's elaborate plans to win, until only his King, Queen, two pawns, and a bishop remained, and Anya had managed to finally place his king under checkmate. Staring down at the board in near disbelief, a small smile began to pull at the corners of Gleb's lips before becoming a full fledged grin.

"Congratulations, comrade, you've beaten me." Gleb beamed at her. Anya couldn't help the giddy smile that spread across her own face at her winning. 

"And you didn't think I could." Anya folded her arms whilst smirking at Gleb. 

"Oh, quiet the contrary, I knew you could, I just didn't know when," Gleb lifted the dark wooden king and held it out to Anya, "here, have it, it's yours." 

"But Gleb, your chess set would be incomplete without it." Anya argued as he closed her fingers around the king. 

"It will be complete as long as you have the king." Gleb gently spoke and Anya understood what he was saying, though indirectly. 

"Here, then," Anya took the lighter wood king and held it out, "now we can always play as long as we both have the kings." 

Gleb smiled and took the white piece from Anya. Somehow to Anya the little wooden king in her hand felt so much more important than the worn gold pendant she kept tucked into her blouse, and Anya vowed to keep it with her, the meaning behind the chess piece to great for it's little wooden body. Still smiling, Anya placed the king into her pocket to run her hands over when the nights became to long or when the days became to cold, to remind herself that someone was there, that someone loved her. 

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave any questions, comments, concerns, and or interpretive dances in the comment section below. (Seriously, I want to see an interpretive dance, please. I've been asking for over a year, common.)


End file.
